<TITLE>Working with Branches</TITLE>
<P>
<i>Branching</i> allows any set of files to be copied within the depot, and allows changes made to one set of files to be copied, or <i>
integrated</i>, into another. As the new files evolve separately from the original files, changes in either set of files can be propagated
to the other using the <a href="integrate?help">integrate</a> command.
<P>
A <i>branch spec</i> defines the locations of the original (source) files and the branched (target) files. Branch specs can be used for
integrating or simply for comparing two sets of files.
<P> Using a branch spec is optional. You can simply specify file sets when you 
  integrate. The advantage of a branch spec is that it stores information that 
  you can use later. 
<P>
Click the <B>Branches</B> tab to view all <a href="defs?help#branchspec">branch specs</a>
known to the Perforce server. Click on a branch name to see more details about that branch spec.
<p>
For information about the fields in a branch spec, see <a href="editbranch?help">Creating and Editing Branch Specs</a>.
 
<p> <b>To compare branched files:</b> 
<ol>
<li>Select the <B>Branches</B> tab.
  <li>Click on a branch spec name to display its details.
    <li>Select <b>Compare Branched Files</b> from the <b>Action</b> menu at the top 
    of the page. This lists the files that differ between the source and the target 
    of the <a href="editbranch?help">branch spec</a>. 
</ol>